


Forever in Thought

by NoelleWynters



Category: Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-11
Updated: 2015-02-11
Packaged: 2018-03-11 22:04:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3334481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoelleWynters/pseuds/NoelleWynters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spending lifetimes unending alone can give you time to reflect on where you went wrong in your life, and know what you would change if you could do it over again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forever in Thought

**Author's Note:**

> Standard disclaimer applies: I don't own anything, this is all for fun.

Constant spinning, never stopping for a moment. Once upon a time the needle would seek out what the holder desired more than anything else in all the worlds, yet now it spun as one lost and without direction. Never ceasing, never finding its mark.

How long had it been since it had actually pointed in any direction? It did not matter which it was: north, east, south or west, all that mattered was the fact it pointed to her. That proved she was still alive and somewhere in the world.

Now it was more than obvious a great deal of time had passed since they were parted, and she had gone on to a place he could likely never follow.

Cyrus glared at the needle of the compass, always in perpetual motion. At one time it had given him so much comfort just to know his mother was still alive. Was she trying to find him or his brothers? Was she happy...had she moved on with her life? Had she found some purpose, perhaps the unconditional love she had given her sons had been bestowed upon other children who were less fortunate.

His mother had always been a loving woman, even when she was putting any of the three of them in their place. She tolerated none of their nonsense and had no issue making sure they knew to never do such a thing again. Perhaps he was a trouble maker back then, but he also knew better in many respects on how to treat people.

It didn't always inform all of his decisions, if it had then he wouldn't be tethered to a bottle for all eternity. Even if he could escape for a short duration, as sometimes he would come to a master or mistress who cared little of what he did with his time, or even pitied him enough to allow him some freedoms, his telling binds would always cause him issue.

Sorrow washed over him out of nowhere as he continued to watch the needle spin incessantly. With a sigh he allowed it to slip from his fingers, watching listlessly as it rolled off one of the many pillows inside his bottle, all of varying shades of burgundy, gold and orange. Following it with his eyes he noted where it slipped down to lightly hit the side (or floor he supposed in this case) of his bottle, committing it to memory so he could locate it later when he longed for the assurance it once gave. 

_Its one thing to cheat at cards Cyrus, it is another to cheat the fates._

Those words, they always felt like a sharp stab in his heart when he heard Taj's voice ringing through his mind once again. Was it truly so wrong to defy fate for someone you love? Why exactly had it been predestined that she would die just to teach him a lesson? And in truth, that would have been a far crueler lesson then being enslaved centuries unending.

Cyrus squeezed his eyes shut as he fell back among the cushions, trying to push Taj's words from his mind. Those along with Rafi's cry of distress, as well as the terrified look in his mother's eyes in those last moments tortured his mind often. It was all his fault, all of it fell on his shoulders. Perhaps he should have listened to Taj, or the guardian of the Well of Wonders. Still, it wasn't fair that she pay such a high price for his own arrogance.

He understood now, after so many centuries, everything happened for a reason and you had to allow fate to take its course. Still, Cyrus knew if he had it to do again he would steal those waters to save her once more. Only this time, he would have allowed his brothers to return the waters, and simply taken their water-skins to fill on his own.

The genie knew now, he understood what he'd done wrong. Yet that did not make any difference now, what was done was done and in the long run he had no regret in saving her. Not truly. His regret lay in damning his brothers along with him; they did not deserve to be living the same monotonous life as he. They should have remained with their mother, they were completely innocent and had only stolen the water at his insistence.

Their own hopes and dreams for the future so suddenly ripped from their grasp due to their brother's own foolishness. If a genie could have one wish, Cyrus would wish for their freedom and take all the consequences for himself. He would never risk another again, but as for himself...he'd sacrifice himself for their happiness.

Shifting slightly among the cushions, his one hand searched for the compass. Upon locating it a sad smile tugged at his lips as he held it up to watch the spinning needle by the faint light coming through the bottom of his bottle. If only it would point towards her again...if only he could just find a way to free his brothers and reunite them with her. He could at least find comfort in his punishment if he knew they were happy.

Perhaps it had ceased pointing due to him being too far from home. He'd travelled to many lands since being cursed, maybe this time he was in a separate realm all together. Maybe, just maybe, that was why it no longer pointed to her. Cyrus began to cling to that hope, for what did any of us have if not that?


End file.
